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Wednesday July 27th 2005

What's Happening!
Tracking the Progress of the R33
BY Pat Reynolds of "The Mariner"
Download PDF Newsletter (305 kb)
Shaking & Moving

As we continue to track the adventures of our faithful and speedy R33, we again encounter heavy winds, 1st place finishes, new interpretations of sail plans and layouts and this month, a bit of outside attention from some magazines and internet sites. The growing cast of characters/owners are out in full force, gradually but persistently convincing the sailing world that the R33 is a boat to be reckoned with.

Down South with the R33

New dealer and R33 owner Mike Krantz out of Georgia, didn’t waste any time turning his new boat loose on the competition in the Gulf of Mexico in the 57th Gulfport to Pensacola Race from Gulfport Mississippi to Pensacola Florida. This 100-mile race has been a very popular contest on the Gulf Coast racing scene for decades. With over 60 boats competing, Krantz and crew aboard Sailmax passed every boat in the race to win first on elapsed and third place on corrected time in this prestigious competition.

In conditions not ordinarily conducive for catamarans - 5 knots of breeze on the nose - the R33 still finished in about 17 hours. Krantz never had a chance to put up a spinnaker or reacher and at one point winds were so light that he dropped the flogging headsail and sailed under main alone.

“It was one of the hotter longer races that I’ve done in a long time,” said Krantz. “It never turned into a sea-breeze and it never clocked around like it was suppose to. But even though it was a light air race, upwind the entire time, which is not the favored course for a catamaran; nobody could believe that a cat could go upwind in light air and point and be higher and faster than 90% of the boats on the course.”

Krantz has been an active catamaran sailor for many years and has competed in many of the more esteemed long distance competitions that beach cat sailing has to offer. “I was looking to get something with the same kind of performance as a beach cat, but not as rugged and demanding to sail.” Krantz is the owner/operator of a company that specializes in parts and accessories for performance catamaran sailing called Sail Max.

Live Web Cast Event!

If watching some of the top Formula 18 catamaran sailors compete for the North American title isn’t enough to fulfill your need for fast thrills, then how about a duo of high-performance, spinnaker donning, 33 foot catamarans tearing it up on the race course?

That’s exactly what’s in store when R33.com and SailMax.biz host a seven day Reynolds 33 land and water exhibition to surpass all expectations.

On-line sailing enthusiasts will be able to follow the action of the 2005 Formula 18 North Americans when they log on to www.F18NAOnline.com- Live updates, frequent video clips of on and off the water action, sailor interviews and more are all courtesy of R33.com and SailMax.

R33.com and SailMax takes the event to a whole new level by inviting the at-home viewer to explore the high performance, high quality, Reynolds 33 catamaran through video clips taken during the main exhibition on Sunday preceding the F18NAs start.

As for the lucky sailors participating in the F18Nas, they can get a close-up look at the R33’s on display and even fasten on a life jacket and hold on for the ride of their lives. Experienced R33 sailors will provide a first hand account of the R33’s superb performance and powerful speed. It’ll excite and inspire even the most discriminating sailor a in person or by way of the web cast!

The excitement starts August 7th and will continue through August 12th with the live web cast of the F18NAs.
Can’t wait for the action to start? Then visit www.F18NAOnline.com now for teaser video’s on the R33 and the F18NAs.

A professional edited DVD of the event will produced and available for purchase from Rockledge Engineering, Inc., http://www.adventureonline.tv

Randy Recruits All Stars for Wet Wednesdays

The Wet Wednesday Series hosted by Long Beach YC, saw some serious sailing talent aboard the two R33s participating in the race. World famous sailmaker/racer Dave Ullman was at the helm of John Papa’s boat (a 14 foot wide version) with designer Randy Reynolds acting as dutiful and subservient crewman, while Olympic medalist Pete Melvin sailed Randy’s boat, Cat Attack. The Cats were competing against 2 Maxi monohulls and two very fast 45-foot monohulls.

The word from the racetrack was that Ullman, a former Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and national champion in a slew of different classes, was grinning wide as he flew a hull doing 18 knots. The two R33s and the 70 foot Maxi, Peligroso were close at the finish, but Cat Attack ended up crossing the line first while Ullman and Randy finished first on corrected time. The top three finished within 27 seconds of each other.
“It was a banner day,” said Reynolds. “We had a Pete Melvin vs Dave Ullman and everybody got there kudos.”

The Windy City - Chicago to Mackinac Race

Marty Foster out of Detroit, continues to put his R33 through its paces in long and short distance races. Aboard Doubletime, Foster and his crew of four took part in the esteemed 99th Chicago to Mackinac Race, a 330-mile jaunt from the Chicago Yacht Club to Mackinac Island.

Foster got out of the gate fast, passing 90% of the 300 entrants within the first three hours of the race, with 10 knots of wind on the nose. Things were immediately looking very good with the knowledge that not only were they in front of the pack, but they were also in front of world class professional sailor Randy Smythe, sailing an F-31 1D named Rocketeer. But by Foster’s own admission the skipper and crew may have been guilty of some complacency. As they powered through the first leg of the course the wind direction shifted, as did the fortune for Foster and Doubletime.

The plan of action was to follow the same route that some of the bigger yachts had carved, but unfortunately it didn’t turn out to be the best choice. The boats that had taken a more coastal path were making better time and to add insult to injury, the crew was subsequently pounded with 50 mile an hour winds as a storm descended upon them. The fellows took a beating, but faired well compared to the F-33 that capsized nearby. “They pitch-poled,” said Foster. “We caught the front end of the storm, they must have caught the back-end of it.”

“We saw it coming and were double reefed with a blade jib when it hit, but we should have had no main and a blade jib. We thought it was just a normal rain storm, but it was a white-out rain storm with hale.” Doubletime weathered the twenty-minute onslaught admirably and at top speed. “The main got pinned against the side stay and we were going downwind at 21 knots,” said Foster. “When it eased up we were able to round up into the wind, take some more sail down and get the boat under control.”

In the end, Foster didn’t do so well in the overall standings, but clearly the boat was poised to win if they had taken another route. Also, Foster was pleased with the boat’s durability and strength during the squall.

The Rudder Feels Like Butter!

The dedicated crew at Reynolds Sailing is always looking to improve on any and all aspects of a design that many feel to already be at the highest standard. Because Randy Reynolds is constantly sailing his own R33 often and in all conditions, he is able to assess what is in need of modification and development for the future unborn R33s. But whatever improvements are implemented for the new stock, there will always be a means supplied by which a current owner can enjoy the modification for very little cost.

The latest example of such an upgrade is an improved rudder angle. Although the R33 is possibly the finest handling catamaran on the market as it is, Reynolds and his design team felt there could be some enhancement. The rudders are kicked a little farther forward which has drastically improved handling.

“We keep on improving the R33 without making the older boats obsolete,” said Reynolds. “As a winter project for current owners, they’ll be able to easily re-drill the hole in their rudder, fill the other hole with epoxy and they’ll have the same angle that we’ve tested.”

More New Developments - Charter Sails

Reynolds Sailing is currently testing and developing a sail plan designed for the purpose of cruising and/or chartering the R33. The new mainsail is the equivalent of a double reefed main, with a headsail called a Half Blast (on a roller) that is bigger than the working jib, but smaller than the Blast, which is the midsize headsail that usually comes stock on an R33. In a recent test, the charter/cruising sail suit powered the R33 up to 19 knots in 12 knots of wind.

“Much to our amazement,” said Randy Reynolds after testing the new set-up in an unofficial Transpac start. “The boat preformed really well on all points of sail. With this configuration, you can get the high speed and stability of a wider boat.” He continued, “You could get a one-design and double reef the main, buy a half blast and you wouldn’t need anything else. You wouldn’t need a bowsprit - it would be very clean-no lines- it looks like a big Hobie Cat and you’re going to go really fast in almost all wind conditions. So, if you’re looking to just go out for a day sail by yourself or with your family and you don’t want to use your racing sails, it’s cleaner and easier with this configuration, and you won’t go that much slower.”

Media Spotlight!

In this past month reputable designer Leif Beiley reviewed the R33 for Santana, a popular California based sailing magazine. Beiley said, “What I like about this boat is that you can race over to Catalina Island in the morning, have lunch, go for a hike ashore, take an afternoon nap on that big, comfortable trampoline, then make it home in time for dinner. What a blast!”
In the upcoming month John Burnham will review the Reynolds 33 for the national publication, Sailing World.

Until Next Time...

In contrast to the nimble and darting pace that the R33 is always traveling, Reynolds Sailing is moving steady and deliberately towards making this solid, dependable mid-sized boat an affordable and pragmatic choice for the modern sailor. We are excited not only about the progress of the boat itself, but proud of the adventurous spirit that the R33 owners all most definitely share.

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